After Seven Years, It’s Time to Show My Abstract Art In Public

Funny how time flies when you are engrossed in the mystery of creation. I’ve been painting abstract art for almost seven years now. My mentor, Russian artist Allen Tager, has guided me, encouraged me and applied the standard of the great masters to evaluate my art and keep me growing.

New abstract painting by Don Shapiro 60×72

Besides being an internationally known fine artist, Allen is also an award winning art educator, author and was one of the leaders of the St. Petersburg 300 of artist who defied the Soviet Union during the last five years before it’s fall. Allen has always claimed that his unique method of art education can help someone move from a beginning artist to the master level in three years as opposed to the normal 15 years.

I’m not sure where the art world would place me after working with Allen for seven years. I do feel like I’ve grown immensely and understand so much more about the purpose of a fine artist, the relationship between colors and what it means to express meaning and discover mysteries through paint on a canvas.

My journey is a unique one. Of course, every artist journey is unique. There are no rules in how an artist develops. Each person has to find their own way. Ultimately, the only thing that counts is what’s on the canvas and what was the intention of the artist in creating it.

Why My Abstract Art Has Not Been Shown

For seven years, I’ve continued to push myself to learn more, see more and understand more about this abstract art I’ve been creating. And for seven years, I’ve never shown my works in public. Only Allen, my family, and a few friends have seen them in person. I have been content simply to create, grow and converse with Allen about my art. Lately, my family and friends have been saying my paintings should be in galleries. Actually, they’ve been telling me this for several years.

Personally, I feel this was the best way for me. While other artist may have pursued a lot of showings to build their resume, both Allen and I have always felt that the only resume that counts is the painting itself, how the painting makes people feel and think, and the ability of the painting to help us discover something new about ourselves, our world and our universe. Ultimately, fine art connects us at a very personal level to something that is deep within us and beyond us.

Now I feel it is finally time to share these paintings with the world while I continue to grow to the next level and beyond as an artist. And so a new era begins.

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